What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 29, 2016, at approximately 13:55 CDT a Jabiru J230-SP, N51514, made an emergency landing in a plowed farm field in Plainfield, WI, following a power loss.
The aircraft was being operated by a sport pilot on a cross country flight from kisw with an intended destination of kosh. Approximately 13 minutes after departure from kisw while in cruise flight, the pilot experienced severe vibration and a significant reduction in engine power. The pilot used foreflight to determine that the closest airport was WN09 which is a private grass strip. The pilot was unable to visually locate WN09 and elected to land in an adjacent plowed field. Prior to base leg, the engine seized.
After touchdown, the drag from the dirt surface caused abrupt deceleration, resulting in additional damage to the airplane. The nose gear steel structure and fork, propeller, and wheel pants were damaged. The sport pilot was the sole occupant and received no injuries. The aircraft sustained minor damage.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 29, 2016, AT APPROXIMATELY 13:55 CDT A JABIRU J230-SP, N51514, MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A PLOWED FARM FIELD IN PLAINFIELD, WI, FOLLOWING A POWER LOSS.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED BY A SPORT PILOT ON A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT FROM KISW WITH AN INTENDED DESTINATION OF KOSH. APPROXIMATELY 13 MINUTES AFTER DEPARTURE FROM KISW WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT, THE PILOT EXPERIENCED SEVERE VIBRATION AND A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT USED FOREFLIGHT TO DETERMINE THAT THE CLOSEST AIRPORT WAS WN09 WHICH IS A PRIVATE GRASS STRIP. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO VISUALLY LOCATE WN09 AND ELECTED TO LAND IN AN ADJACENT PLOWED FIELD. PRIOR TO BASE LEG, THE ENGINE SEIZED.
AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE DRAG FROM THE DIRT SURFACE CAUSED ABRUPT DECELERATION, RESULTING IN ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE. THE NOSE GEAR STEEL STRUCTURE AND FORK, PROPELLER, AND WHEEL PANTS WERE DAMAGED. THE SPORT PILOT WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT AND RECEIVED NO INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE.